Rail car



5, 1941. A. o. WILLIAMS ET AL RAIL CAR Filed Dec. 51, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l BY v ATTORNEY.

RAIL CAR Filed Dec. 51, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QQQfredO zy mw BY zflizioxll-flemm.

@maj zm Patented Aug. 5, 1941 RAIL CAR Alfred '0. Williams and Milo M. Dean, Battle Creek, Mich., assignors to. Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan,

Michigan Mich, a corporation of Application December 31, 1938, SerialNo. 248,722 6 Claims. (Cl. 213-221) This invention relates to rail cars, and more particularly is directed -to-a resilient anti-climber construction incorporating therein means for dissipating the shock stresses which may be caused by collisions or inadvertent impacts of appreciable severity between cars.

More specifically, the present invention contemplates an anti-climber or end frame construction provided with means for absorbing and dissipating theenergy produced due to collisions or severe impacts at the endsof the car. While rubber or spring bumper mechanisms have heretofore been devised for this purpose, they have not proven satisfactory. This is due, in large measure, to the fact that the rubber or spring material will cushion the shock, but in itself provides for no dissipation of the stresses built up, thereby transmitting the shock loads into the car structure whereby serious damage may result.

In order to correct this situation, attempts have been made to build up predetermined weak structural assemblies which will deform under impact with the thought of thereby absorbing the stresses. deformation occurs usually at a fixed pressure per square inch of section, there is then no further possibility-of dissipation of energy and the remaining load is transmitted directly into the body of the car.

The present invention has as one of its primary objects the provision of a shock dissipating construction comprising an anti-climber resiliently supported on the end of a car and adapted under severe shock stresses to cause extrusion of a supporting member, this extrusion in turn converting the energy of the shock that is to be dissipated or absorbed into a flowing of material under pressure.

While it is readily possible to contemplate the invention from a hydraulic standpoint with the shock stresses being absorbed by compression and metered discharge of a fluid, the present invention in its broad concept is directed to the use of ductile metallic or compound extrusion pieces capable of flowing orextruding at a uniform rate under a given pressure in order to dissipate or absorb within themselves the shock stresses caused by collision.

In a preferred form of the present invention, the anti-climber isresiliently-supported within a casting having relative longitudinal movement with respect to thecar body within the end seal. An extrusion pill which may comprise a cylindrical roll or the like spaces this casting from However, in such "constructions, as a the end frame of the car. Upon a collision occurring, the anti-climber compresses the resilient material which in turn transmits the collision force as a uniform pressure through the casting against the extrusion pieces. As the result, these pieces flow laterally into predetermined spaces, and thus dissipate to an appreciable extent the collision force prior to the time it has an opportunity to reach the frame of the car.

While the extrusion 'pieces may be made of any ductile material such as aluminum, zinc, lead, or combinations thereof, or of compositions of plastic materials such as corks, asphalt compounds and the like, it has been foundtha't aluminum has an extrusion rate such that it admirably fits this particular situation and is capable of flowing under the shockipressures'to an extent such as to absorb substantially all collision forces, which otherwise would damage the car body as well as injure the occupants .of the car. The construction is readily disassembled so that after a collision and the consequent extrusion of such pieces, they may be readily removed and new pieces substituted without raising any complicated disassembly problem. Normally the rubbersupport between the anti-climber and the pressure applying casting is sufiicient to take up the impacts occurring from car coupling operations, and the extrusion piecesare, in a preferred form of the invention, designed to begin extrusion at a pressure thereon of 200,000p0unds per square inch.

Itis to be understood that the extrusion pieces can assume a variety of .shapes, but we have found that a piece having the shape of a concave roller, when subjected to longitudinal pressure, gives the best results Edue largely to the fact that a substantially uniform contact surface is maintained throughout an appreciable portion of the extruding stage, and consequently, the extruding takes place smoothlyand uniformly, giving the desired forceldistribution or energy absorption required in a structure of this nature.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be .more apparent to those skilled in this particular held from the following detailed description of a preferred construction of the present invention, which will be described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the end frame and anti-climber construction embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a modified form of extrusion piece.

Considering now the drawings in detail, the underframe and casting is indicated at 5 having the diverging rib portions 6 which tie into the side frame members. The casting 5 is provided with an outwardly projecting substantially rectangular recess 1 defined by side wing portions 8. Projecting through the recess 1 in laterally spaced alinement is a plurality of elongated bolt members 9. Mounted on the bolts 9 within the recess 1 are a plurality of extrusion pieces I0 of generally cylindrical shape which are laterally spaced in accordance with the spacing of the bolts 9 and are of a length such that they do not project to the forward end of the recess 1. Disposedfor telescoping movement with respect to the recess 1 is a retainer casting 13 which has a reduced portion of rectangular shape indicated at M and adapted to project within and closely fit the recess 1. The portion It is provided with laterally spaced bosses I5, as indicated clearly in Figures 1, '3 and 4, which have abutting engagemerit against the outer'ends of the extrusion pieces 10.

The member I3 is provided with an outwardly directed substantially rectangularly shaped recess I6having an enlarged portion adapted to extend outwardly sufiiciently to overlie the inner end of the anti-climber member [1. This anticlimber member is provided with a plurality of horizontal vertically spaced fins M3 toprevent one car from climbing vertically with respect to an'adjacent car upon a collision or the like. The anti-climber member [8 is provided with boss portions between which the heads 20 of the bolt members 9 are adapted to be seated for retaining the anti-climber in position'with respect to the casting l3 and the end frame member 5. It will be noted that the bolts 9 also project through the bosses 15 of the member l3 thereby insuring alignment of the contacting surfaces of the bosses and the extrusion pieces I0. Mounted within the recess l6 and spacing the anticlimber with respect to the rear wall of the recess is a rubber block member 22 which, as shown in Figure 2 extends transversely across the entire recess Hi. This member resiliently supports the anti-climber l'l out of possible rattling contact with the member I3, and also serves as a cushioning or bumper means for accommodating a certain amount of inward movement of the member I1, produced, for example, in coupling cars together, by compression of the rubber which in turn exerts a corresponding pressure against the member 13 causing the bosses IE to transmit this pressure to the outer ends of the extrusion pieces l0.

As shown clearly in Figures 1 and Z the member 13 adjacent the lateral sides of the recess I6 is provided with wing portions 23 which tend to prevent any possible transmission of force directly to the car, body without first passing through either the member IE or the anti-climber [1.

It will be apparent that upon a collision between two cars, the collision impact will be transmitted to the anti-climber 11, which in turn will compress the rubber block 22. However, the

taken substantially rubber block in itself is unable to dissipate any of the compressive stresses imparted thereto, but must necessarily transmit these stresses as a pressure against the member l3. This causes the member [3 to tend to move inwardly with respect to the recess 1 transmitting a corresponding pressure into the end faces of the extrusion pieces H] by means of the bosses l5. Consequently, the total compressive force caused by the collision is transmitted to the extrusion pieces [0 as a pressure on their radial surfaces at the outer ends thereof.

This compression causes a radial flowing of the ductile material comprising the extrusion piece, which flowing is a function of the compressive strength of the member, and consequently remains uniform and constant as long as the pressure is applied. Thus, until such time as the piece It) has reached the limit of extrusion under such pressure, it will absorb and dissipate through such extrusion the energy produced by the collisionf In other words, this energy is converted into the energy required for flowing of the extrusion piece, and as the flow proceeds, the energy is consequently dissipated so that under the most severe collision shocks, no appreciable shock is left which can be directly transmitted from the member 13 to the member 5. In other words, it is necessary that the piece It be entirely extruded insofar as the available extrusion volume is concerned prior to the transmission of any remaining-shock to the car. It will be noted that the shoulder 25 on the member l3 limits the amount of inward movement of the member l3 relative to the member 5, and consequently limits the amount of extrusion of the member ID.

However, inasmuch as the extrusion pieces l0 do not extrude except under pressures of approximately 200,000 pounds per square inch, it will be apparent that a very great compressive force can be dissipated by these pieces before the shoulder 25 will ever come in contact with the outer edge of the recess 1.

In Figure 5 there is disclosed a modified form of extrusion member 30 which has the opening 32 formed therein for locating the same on a supporting bolt such as the bolt member 9. However, the member 30 is provided with an annular concave surface 33 causing the member 30 to take the appearance of a concave roller. When pressure is applied to an end surface such as the end surface 3 1 of the member 30, extrusion will first start at the portion of reduced section which is the longitudinal center of the member, and consequently the extrusion will be greatest at this point and will decrease toward the opposite ends of the piece. The particular shape of the curve 33 can be calculated with great accuracy so that substantially the entire extrusion of the piece will be intermediate the end surfaces, and consequently the end 34 will not vary materially in area during such extrusion, thus providing for a substantially constant rate of extrusion due to maintenance of a uniform pressure per square inch and a uniform area over which this pressure is exerted on the piece. This has been found of distinct advantage in cushioning and dissipating the shocks on car ends caused by collisions.

It is obvious that the particular shape of the members 5, l0, l3 and I1 may be varying widely within the scope of the present invention, as well as the particular relationships existing among other details of the present construction. We therefore do not intend to limit our invention to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described, but only insofar as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination, a bufitlng structure comprising a first portion composed of rubber, a housing therefor, a rigid supporting member having a recess into which said housing may telescope upon application of stress thereto, and laterally spaced extrudable spacing members in said recess biased between said housing and supporting member for resisting said telescoping action of said housing and adapted to withstand deformation up to a certain predetermined stress on said rubber which is transmitted thereto by said housing, said spacing members then extruding laterally within said recess to accommodate further deflection without any increase in stress on said supporting member.

2. In combination, a buifing structure disposed between adjacent ends of two car bodies comprising a rigid member secured to one of the car frames and having an outwardly directed recess, a housing having a rear portion projecting in telescoping relation into said recess and an outwardly directed enlarged opening, an anti-climber having telescoping engagement in the outer end of said opening, stud means between said anticlimber and said rigid member limiting outward displacement therebetween and extending through the housing, a rubber bumper disposed in said housing opening and supported between said anti-climber and the rear portion of said housing and capable of absorbing normal coupling stresses, and laterally spaced metallic extrudable spacing members in said recess biased between said housing and the rear wall of said member and adapted to be deformed upon predetermined stress being applied to said bumper Without any increase in stress being imposed on said rigid member.

3. In a bufling structure, a rigid support, an extrudable member bearing at one end against said support, a movable housing bearing against the opposite end of said member, and a rubber bumper seating in and bearing against said housing in line with said member, said bumper being compressed against said housing to transmit pressure to said member up to a predetermined point whereupon said member deforms to absorb further stress without any increase in pressure within said bumper.

4. In a buifing structure, a rigid support, a housing movable relative to said support, an extrudable member normally spacing said housing from said support, and a rubber bumper carried by said housing and subject to impact stresses, said bumper deforming to absorb up to a predetermined stress, deflection of said bumper imposing stress upon said member to cause extrusion thereof at said predetermined stress to provide for further deflection in said structure without imposing any additional stress upon said structure.

5. In a bufiing structure, a rigid support, an extrusion member, a movable housing, and a rubber bumper all arranged in successive longitudinal abutment whereby stresses up to a predetermined point are absorbed by said bumper to provide a predetermined deflection, and extrusion of said member accommodates further deflection without any appreciable increase in said stress on said support.

6. A buffing structure for the end of a car body comprising a support rigid with the end frame of said body, an extrusion member bearing against said support, a movable housing bearing against said extrusion member, and a rubber bumper seated in said housing in alinement with said member whereby end pressures caused by impact are absorbed by deflection of said bumper up to a predetermined stress and further deflection is provided by extrusion of said member at said predetermined stress without imposing additional pressure on said support.

ALFRED O. WILLIAMS. MILO M. DEAN. 

